Leaders Create Possibility
Carly Fiorina gave the commencement address at MIT in 2000, and I was impressed at her clarity and her insight into what constitues leadership today. As a former CEO of Hewlett Packard, Carly knows a thing or two about leadership. The take-away quote for me was as follows:
A leader’s greatest obligation is to make possible an environment… where people can aspire to change the world.
— Carly Fiorina
I had to ask myself, “Do I want to change the world?” Really? Deep down inside? I know I want to change to become a better, more grounded, more mature, more faithful person. But do I want to change the world? That seems to me a mighty undertaking.
As a leader in my church, I think this quote is a genuine challenge. Do I cultivate an environment where the people I lead are inspired, encouraged, and equipped to change the world? I think that I do, but I can be more clear when I express the vision of challenging others to grow to maturity in their faith and to become equipped to serve in ministries of their own.
My dream is honestly to see Christians grow to maturity in their faith and become effective stewards of the message God has passed on to us. It isn’t a business dream - though many Christians are in business, so businesses would be affected. It isn’t a dream that is measured in dollars and cents, but it is still tangible. It is a dream that is critical to the future of our world.
It may seem to some that the business world and the religious world should be kept completely separate. Some might call this separation of church and state - though I would say the original intent was not that church and state be separate, but that the state should never prohibit the free exercise of any religion. I believe that as I grow in maturity in my faith, there are side benefits that the other areas of my life reap, including the business world. Why wouldn’t the business world want to see these benefits?
As I grow in my faith, my character deepens. My leadership in business will always be limited by my depth of character. Look at Enron to see that character matters.
As I grow in my faith, my ability to communicate difficult concepts clearly improves - a skill desparately needed in the business world. Communication is critical in business. I have worked with brilliant co-workers who could not communicate their ideas or strategies in a coherent, non-technical manner - and some who could not communicate without being condescending.
As I grow in my faith, my ability to understand different view points, to stand by my convictions in the face of opposition, and to walk in confident humility will all be strengthened. Each of these are necessary in the business world.
This is the vision I want to pass on to those I lead: we can change the world, both secular and non-secular, by challenging the Christian church to grow to maturity in their faith, which is accomplished by equipping them to be effective servants in ministry.
